Sweden: Salwan Momika, known for burning the Qur’an multiple times and regarded by some as a freedom fighter, has been killed

Image: Jihad Watch

STOCKHOLM (AP) — An Iraqi man responsible for several Quran burnings in Sweden has died, according to a judge in Stockholm. Swedish media reported that he was fatally shot in a nearby city.

Salwan Momika, 38, staged multiple burnings and desecrations of the Quran in Sweden throughout 2023. Videos of these actions gained international attention, sparking anger and criticism in many Muslim-majority countries, leading to riots and unrest.

The Stockholm District Court announced that a verdict in a trial involving Momika, scheduled for Thursday, was postponed due to the death of one of the defendants. Judge Göran Lundahl confirmed that the deceased was Momika, but stated that he had no details on when or how Momika died.

Police responded to a shooting at an apartment building in Sodertalje, near Stockholm, on Wednesday night, where they found a man with gunshot wounds. He later died, prompting a preliminary murder investigation.

Swedish broadcaster SVT, citing unnamed sources, reported that the victim was Momika. It was noted that Momika moved to Sweden from Iraq in 2018 and received a three-year residence permit in 2021.

Momika claimed his protests were aimed at Islam itself, not at Muslim people, and stated that his actions were intended to protect the Swedish public from the messages of the Quran. Swedish police permitted his demonstrations under the principle of free speech but filed charges against him.

In March, Momika was arrested in neighboring Norway after announcing plans to seek asylum there, only to be deported back to Sweden.

In August, Momika and a co-defendant were charged with incitement to hatred over statements made in connection with the Quran burnings. The court was set to deliver a verdict on Thursday morning.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)